Saturday, February 23, 2013

Caroliner - Rise of the Common Woodpile (1991)


Caroliner is probably one of the most unique and most interesting bands I've ever listened to. Claiming to be a memorial band for a singing bull named Caroliner from the 1800's, all of the members of Caroliner remain completely anonymous, and from release to release the band name changes from things like "Caroliner Rainbow Solid Handshake & Loose 2 Pins" or "Caroliner Rainbow Fingers Of The Underworld & Their Unbreakable Bones." It isn't really known whether this means a change in the lineup, or if the band is just doing it for fun. Really we don't know a whole lot about the band apart from their music. And these guys are strange. They are REALLY strange. Combining weird and sometimes downright terrifying lyricism with a mix of Noise, Industrial, and Bluegrass, they are basically in a world of their own. Their music is often simply dubbed "Industrial Bluegrass" but there's much more going on than that. One last thing to mention before I get on to the album itself, is the fact that most of their albums include some sort of custom made packaging which is hand painted, and included random items presumably found in the garbage by members of the band. You can learn more about Caroliner's releases and where to buy their music here.
The album itself, "Rise of the Common Woodpile," was Caroliner 3rd release, this time as "Caroliner Rainbow Open Wound Chorale." This album is probably a good starting point for Caroliner as it's probably their most accessible work. And as of writing this it's still my favorite album by them. The first track of the album, "Hazel Wet Lap" is a fine example of Caroliner, awkward, sloppy, and noisy playing, deranged vocals, and even more deranged lyrics. The rest of the album follows suit in a crazy, over-the-top, and incredibly unique album. In my opinion the best tracks are either Burdensome Blood or Victory Arms Force. All this being said Caroliner is certainly one of the most horrifying yet amazing bands I have ever witnessed, and you should definitely share the madnesswith me.

Walking each day I'm about to burst 
Legs move myself; They feel the worst 
Every knife in the house is mine 
Carving on the leg makes 'em fine

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